WorldThe founder of the Haqqani network, one of Afghanistan's most effective and feared militant groups, has died after a long illness, their affiliates the Afghan Taliban announced Tuesday. Jalaluddin Haqqani, whose son Sirajuddin Haqqani now heads the brutal group and is also the Taliban's deputy leader, died “after a long battle with illness”, the Taliban said in a statement. Jalaluddin “was from among the great distinguished Jihadi personalities of this era”, the Taliban said in a statement posted on Twitter. The Haqqani network has been blamed for spectacular attacks across Afghanistan since the US invasion. Long suspected of links to Pakistan's shadowy military establishment, the Haqqani network was described by US Admiral Mike Mullen in 2011 as a “veritable arm” of Pakistani intelligence.

Source: Sunday Times September 04, 2018 04:52 UTC